Mega Market International, a Hispanic grocery chain based in Silver Spring, has kept pace with the Latino population boom in suburban Maryland, opening five stores in the past decade.
The supermarkets sprang up in central immigrant hubs in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, including Hyattsville and Rockville. New arrivals from Latin America and the Caribbean can find familiar labels of beans, flours and grains from back home at these 10,000-square-foot stores.
"We saw great opportunities to serve the community, even though the market was getting crowded," said Eric Velasquez, a partner in Mega Market.
A crop of bodegas, said the El Salvadoran grocer, have popped up in recent years, adding to the competition from Korean grocers and mainstream stores like Giant Foods that also cater to Hispanic tastes.
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